Sex Offender Issues

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08/09/2007

FREEDOM — The Freedom Town Board voted against pursuing an ordinance that would prohibit sex offenders from living near areas where children congregate.

Supervisors Wednesday voted unanimously to table the proposal indefinitely.

A number of communities in northeast Wisconsin have looked into restrictions for sex offenders since Green Bay passed an ordinance in March that prohibits them from living within 2,000 feet of locales frequented by children. Some expressed fear that sex offenders would be forced out of communities with ordinances and into those that don't.

Little Chute passed an ordinance similar to Green Bay's in June, while Hortonville's village board passed restrictions in July.

Freedom Supv. Dean Sitar immediately made his viewpoint known Wednesday before the floor was officially opened for discussion.

"I make the motion that we do absolutely nothing with the sex offender ordinance," he said.

The motion received a second, and was passed after brief discussion.

The town hasn't been alone in their decision.

Officials from the state Department of Corrections attended meetings throughout the area in recent months to dissuade officials from passing the ordinances. The department expressed concern that the added housing pressures could drive offenders underground.

Officials from several Heart of the Valley communities held a joint meeting on the issue in Combined Locks last month. Aside from Little Chute, the communities represented at the meeting agreed on delaying any actions on the issue.

The sex offender restriction issue surfaced at a Freedom board meeting last month, though supervisors chose to delay discussion until they could do further research.

Town Chairman Tim Maass, who attended the Combined Locks meeting, said he's concerned that an ordinance could create unintended difficulties for those who are considered sexual offenders, though pose no real threat to the community. He used the example of a 20-year-old who was convicted after consensual sex with a 16-year-old.

An ordinance might make more sense in the future should Wisconsin's registry develop a tiered system that separates true sexual predators from the many others who aren't a risk to assault children, he said.

To this point, the Department of Corrections already is doing a good job monitoring registered sex offenders, Maass said.

"The people that you need to worry about are the people who aren't registered," Maass said.